rsyslog/GENERICIZATION.md

Repository Genericization - Summary

What Was Changed

Your rsyslog repository has been made generic with environment-based configuration. All hardcoded paths and server-specific settings can now be configured via a configuration file.

Files Created/Modified

New Files

1. config.env - Template configuration file

   • Contains all configurable variables with defaults
   • Checked into Git (safe to share)
   • Use as reference for what can be configured

2. config.local.env - Environment-specific overrides (create this locally)

   • Copy from config.env and customize for your server
   • Gitignored - won't be committed
   • Use for sensitive/server-specific settings

3. validate-syntax.sh - Comprehensive validation script

   • Validates shell script syntax
   • Checks configuration file format
   • Validates Ansible playbooks
   • Validates rsyslog config syntax
   • Exit code 0 = all pass, exit code 1 = failures

4. CONFIGURATION.md - Setup and usage documentation

   • Quick start guide
   • Configuration options explained
   • Troubleshooting tips

5. .gitignore - Prevents accidental commits

   • Ignores config.local.env and *.local.env
   • Ignores SSH keys and credentials
   • Standard patterns for Python, editors, logs

Modified Files

1. apply.sh - Now loads configuration

   • Reads config.env or config.local.env
   • Uses variables for paths instead of hardcoded values
   • More verbose output showing what paths it's using

2. drift-check.sh - Now loads configuration

   • Reads config.env or config.local.env
   • Uses variables for server and Git paths
   • More transparent about what it's comparing

How to Use

Step 1: Create local configuration

cp config.env config.local.env

Step 2: Edit for your server

nano config.local.env

Update these key variables:

• SERVER_HOSTNAME - Your server IP/hostname
• RSYSLOG_MAIN_CONFIG - Server path to main config (e.g., /etc/rsyslog.conf)
• RSYSLOG_CONFIG_DIR - Server path to config dir (e.g., /etc/rsyslog.d)
• PUSHGATEWAY_URL - Your Prometheus pushgateway (if using metrics)

Step 3: Validate everything

./validate-syntax.sh

All checks should pass ✓

Step 4: Use your scripts

./apply.sh        # Apply config to server
./drift-check.sh  # Check if server matches Git

Configuration Options

Server Paths (Customize per environment)

• RSYSLOG_MAIN_CONFIG - Where rsyslog.conf lives on server
• RSYSLOG_CONFIG_DIR - Where modular configs live on server

Git Paths (Usually same for all)

• GIT_RSYSLOG_MAIN_CONFIG - Path to config in Git (default: files/rsyslog.conf)
• GIT_RSYSLOG_CONFIG_DIR - Path to configs in Git (default: files/rsyslog.d)

Ansible

• ANSIBLE_INVENTORY - Path to hosts.yml
• ANSIBLE_PLAYBOOK_DIR - Path to playbooks dir
• ANSIBLE_CONFIG - Path to ansible.cfg

Other

• REPO_NAME - Label for your repo
• PUSHGATEWAY_URL - For Prometheus metrics
• LOG_LEVEL - debug/info/warn/error

Adapting for Other Services

To use this for a different service (nginx, apache, etc.):

1. Update file paths in config.env:

   GIT_MAIN_CONFIG="nginx.conf"
   GIT_CONFIG_DIR="nginx.d"
   MAIN_CONFIG="/etc/nginx/nginx.conf"
   CONFIG_DIR="/etc/nginx/conf.d"
   

2. Update the validation/restart command in apply.sh

3. That's it! The scripts work with any service.

Configuration Loading Order

Scripts load config in this order:

1. Check for config.local.env (local overrides)
2. Fall back to config.env (defaults)
3. Use environment variables if set

This allows you to:

• Keep generic defaults in Git (config.env)
• Override locally for each server (config.local.env)
• Keep secrets out of version control

Validation

Run this anytime you make changes:

./validate-syntax.sh

Checks for: ✓ Bash script syntax errors ✓ Required config variables ✓ Configuration file format ✓ Ansible playbook syntax ✓ rsyslog config syntax

Next Steps

1. ✓ Repository is now generic
2. → Create config.local.env for each server
3. → Run validate-syntax.sh before deploying
4. → Check Ansible playbooks work for your server list
5. → Update .woodpecker.yml if needed for CI/CD secrets

Files Not Changed

These remain as-is for now (as requested):

• ansible/playbooks/* - You'll review per server
• ansible/inventory/hosts.yml - You'll update with your servers
• .woodpecker.yml - Kept as-is, already parameterized

Key Improvements

✓ Generic - Works on any server with configuration ✓ Validated - Built-in syntax checking ✓ Safe - Local overrides never committed to Git ✓ Portable - Easy to adapt for different services ✓ Documented - Clear configuration options ✓ Maintainable - Centralized config, no hardcoding